Wire-stretcher



x UNTTED STATES PATENT Erice.

ROBERT C.AI\IDERSON, OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,892, dated August 22, 1893.

Application filed March 1l., 1893. Serial No. 465,564. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jeffersonville, in the county of Clark and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in stretchers for the line wires of wire fences of that class which are attached to a post of the fence; and the object of the present invention is to provide a simple and automatically operating device whereby when the wire has been stretched to the desired tension it can be held in that4 position and will not become slack. v

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings--Figure l is a side elevation of one section of a wire fence showing a series of wire stretcher-s, provided with my improved devices, attached to one of the posts. Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of one of the stretchers. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line oc-oc of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the locking piece. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the bracket.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates a post and B the line wires of a fence. To the post A are rigidly attached bearing plates C adapted to support, in line with the line wires of the fence, short winding shafts D. The bearing plates C'of each Winding roller are preferably cast integral with a back plate C which is provided with suitable openings to receive screws or nails by which it and the bearing plates can be firmly secured in position on the post.

The line wires B'extend through suit-able` passages formed in the post A and aligned openings in the back plate C', and at one end each of said wires is connected to one of the winding shafts, preferably by being passed through a passage dformed therein and then Vbent around the shaft.

One of the trunnions of each winding shaft projects or extends some distance beyondits bearing plate C and the outer end of said trunnion is made polygonal in cross section so as to be readily grasped by a suitable wrench when it is desired to rotate the shaft in its bearings and draw the line wire attached thereto, taut.

Each shaft, D, is provided with an annular Iiange or disk, M, which, when the shaft is in position for use, lies between the bearing plates, C, and closely adjacent to one of said plates asu shown in Fig. 2. To hold the shaft against retrograde movement when the line wire attached thereto has acquired the desired tension I employ a locking piece F which is adapted to engage with the teeth of a ratchet Goast integral with or otherwise rigidly secured to the winding shaft. The locking piece Fis arranged between one of the bearing plates C and a parallel flange or rib I-I preferably formed integral with the back plate C and the upper portion of said piece is enlarged and extends or projects partially over the ratchet on the winding shaft. In the forward face or edge of the locking piece F are formed two notches f f2, into which the teeth of the ratchet on the winding shaft will take in case said shaft should start to move in a reverse direction from that in which it wasturned tostretch the wire B. By reference 'to Fig. 3- of the drawings it will be seen that the upper surface of the teeth g of the ratchet are curved slightly from their inner toward their outer ends and that they will therefore pass easily under the solid portion of the locking piece F above the` notches f', f2, therein as the shaft is rotated to stretch the wire, and that the front edge of the locking piece is concaved from the lower notch to near the lower end of said piece so as not to interfere with the revolutionI of the winding shaft. The lower end of the locking piece F is slightly enlarged and made curving on its outer edge so as to allow the same to freely turn a limited distance over the upper surface of a horizontally projecting lugK on the back plate C. piece extends slightly in rear of the body The lower end of the locking IOO thereof so as to form a lug L which ts in an opening in the back plate and therebyl prevents the locking piece from being drawn vout of the casing formed by the bearing plates and back plate in case the ratchet teeth take into the notchesf, f2; Y

As shown in the drawings the ratchet G is preferably provided with but four teeth and as there are two retaining notches f f2, each tooth of the ratchet aligns with each of said notches during each revolution and the notches are so spaced apart that as the shaft is rotated by the Y winding wrench at` each eighth of a revolution one of the teeth g is in alignment with one of the notches f,f2.

/The locking piece F is strengthened at its thinnest portion by a longitudinally extend'- .ing ribf?.

In using my improved stretcher the wire is attached to. the Windingshaft and the shaft is then rotatedV in its bearings to` d'ra'w the draw.ings,it= will be seen that I haveprovided a very` simple; strong and durable device whereby the windi'n g shaft can beheld' against rearwardV movement and the wire held taut. The upper larger vend of they locking piecey tease;

overh'angs the ratchet G and the weight there- 4o be drawn against the sol-id` part of the back plate. l

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wire stretcher consisting of a back 5o yplate adapted to beattached toa fence post,

a winding'shaft, journaled in bearings supported by the back plate and having a ratchet rigidly secured thereon, and a locking piece g fitted between the back plate and the-'wind- 55 ing shaft and having its upper 'enlargedy end fex-tenjd-i-ngforwardy ever the ratchet' on the winding shaft and provided' in itsunders-ide vwith two-notches,v substantially` as and for the purpose described.

wire through the passage inthe post andthe 2. A wire stretcher consistingof! a back g plate, al windings-haft journaled in bearings on the back plate and provided with airfatehet, and alocli'ing piece-supported on anlinwardly extending ange K on the back plateand provided with: a lug Ly that extends through `an`ap'eratu-rie:in the back plate, thelock-ing piece having i'ftsupper end extending-across I theratch'et on thewinfdng'slraft andY provided in its underside with notches,substantially as and ferfth'e pnrp'osefd'escribed.

-In testimony whereof I aiark my-signature-in presen-ce of v two" witnesses ROB-ERT o. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

-W1LLIAM H. LANG; J AMES E.'1`AGGART. 

